harris



No. 622,766. Patented Apr. 1:, I899. B. n. HARRIS.

HANDLE BAR CLAMP.

(A ncc'im flled- Apr. 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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Unrrnn Srarns BERT D. HARRIS, OF ST.

Parnnr Urrrcn.

CATHARINES, CANADA.

HANDLE-BAR CLAIVI P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,766, dated April 1 1, 1899. Application filed April 13, 1898; Serial No. 677,468. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERT D. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Catharines, in the county of WVelland, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in IIandle-Bar Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the clamping devices employed forsecuring the shank orstem of a velocipede handle-bar to the steeringhead. a

The object of my invention is the provision of a reliable clamping device of simple construction which dispenses with the usual bolt or other lockin g means at the top of the steering-head and which can be conveniently manipulated for securing and releasing the handle-bar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a steering-head provided with my improved clamp. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the split clamping tube or sleeve. Fig. 4: is an enlarged vertical section of the upper portion of the steering-head.

Like letters of reference refer to like in the several figures.

A represents the members of the front-wheel fork of a velocipede, which members in the construction shown in the drawings are connected at their upper ends by the well-known parallel bridge-piecesB B, although the same may be united by any other suitable connec tion or crown-piece.

G is the hollow stem extending upwardly from the upper bridge-piece B and arranged to turn in the usual fixed steering-head D, secured to the front portion of the velocipede- Ball-bearings of any suitable construction may be interposed between the steering-head and the fork-stem O. In the construction shown in the drawings the steer ing-head is formed at its lower end with a ball case or cup d, and the fork-stem is provided at its base with a cone 0, between which and said case the balls 6 are arranged. The upper ball-bearing (shown in the drawings) consists of a cone (1, pressed into the upper end of the steering-head, a screw-cap f, applied to the projecting upper end of the forkparts stem, and ballsf, interposed between the cap and the cone.

G is the handle-bar, and G the usual cylindrical shank, carrying at its upper end a lug or socket G in which the handle-bar is secured either fixedly or adjustably, as may be desired. y

H is a clamping-tube fitted within the hollow fork-stem O and adapted to receive and clamp the shank of the handle-bar. This clamping-tube is provided at its upper end with a head or enlargement H, having a conical o'r downwardly-tapering outer surface, which is seated in a correspondingly-shaped cavity or seat 1, formed in the upper end .of the forkstein, as shown. The conical head of this tube is split lengthwise by one or more slits h, so that upon forcing the tube downwardly in the stem the tongues or metal between the slits h are contracted by the tapering or wedging surfaces of the tube and the stem, causing such tongues to tightly bind against the shank of the handle-bar and firmly securing the same within the clamping-tube and at the same time clamping the tube within the fork-stem. The tongues or portions of metal formed by the slits are suiiiciently elastic to permit the requisite contraction and expansion thereof. The clamping-tube is drawn downward for clamping the parts by a longitudinal bolt J, extending downwardly from the closed lower end of the tube and passing through a head or washerj, which closes the lower end of the fork-stem, as shown in Fig.

l. The nut j of this bolt bears against the under side of the washer j, where it can be conveniently turned by a suitable wrench for clamping or releasing the handle-bar shank. Upon loosening the nut j the slitted upper portion of the clamping-tube is permitted to expand, thus releasing the handle-bar shank.

The upper portion of the hollow stem 0 is preferably split or slitted, as shown, so that the elastic tongues formed by the slits are expanded within the cap f in the act of tightening the clamping-tube, thereby securely clamping the cap to the stem. This cap may be formed with an upwardly-extending collar, which surrounds the shank of the handle-bar, as shown in Fig. 1. Y

My improved clamping device affords an extensive frictional or clamping surface be tween the handle-bar shank and the tube in which it is fitted, and it also forms a very sightly construction, as it leaves the upper end of the steering-head free from lock-nuts and bolts, the only part employed at the top of the steering-head being the cap for inclosing the balls of the upper hearing.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the hollow forkstem,of acontractible clampingtube or sleeve arranged in said stem and adapted to receive the shank of a handle-bar,said clamping-tube and fork-stem being provided with contiguous tapering surfaces which cause the tube to I contract and bind upon the handle-bar shank by a longitudinal movement of the tube in the stem, and a tightening device which operates to draw said clampingtube downwardly in the fork-stem and which is accessible at the lower end of the steering-head, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a wheel-fork and a hollow stem connected therewith and provided with a tapering seat, of a clampingtube fitted in said stem and having a split,

tapering portion arranged in the tapering seat of said fork-stein,and aclamping-bolt extending downwardly from said clamping-tube,and passing through the upper portion of the fork, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a wheel-fork and a hollow stem projecting upwardly therefrom and having its upper end split and provided with a tapering seat, of a clamping-tube fitted in said stein and havingasplit tapering upper portion arranged in the tapering seat of said fork-stem, a cap applied to the split end of the fork-stem, and aclamping-bolt extending downwardly from said clamping tube and passing through the crown or upper end of the wheel-fork and provided with a nut which bears against the under side of the forkcrown, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 9th day of April,

BERT D. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, J NO. J. BONNER. 

